Alie Salieu Receives Death Threat From the Poro Society
By Abdulai Turay
Many stories have come to our news desk about the forcing of young guys to get initiated into the secret Poro Society which is most common traditional practice in Southern-Eastern part of Sierra Leone.
A young guy, Alie Salieu has on the 12th March, 2021 narrowly escaped this year’s initiation ceremony of Poro Society at BoamaKonta Village, Wandor Chiefdom in Kenema District. This issue has become unbearable to most young men living in that district.
In an interview with him, he told this press that “It is against my fate as a Catholic Christian to join such a sinful secret society (Poro Society), and I don’t want to get involved it because I have experienced that many people lost their lives during the initiation process and your body will be buried in the Poro Bush without known by your family members.”
He further added that “since the death of my parents in 2016 just after the Ebola Outbreak in Sierra Leone, my uncle and other family relatives have persistently pressing me to follow their evil practices and that is why he hate seeing me whenever I attended church services on Sunday, Wednesday’s and Friday because in Islam in Sierra Leone and he completely don’t want me to convert to Christianity.
He further cleared air that the Poro Society Ceremony will commence on the 15th March, 2021 according to discussion with few of my friends who are totally against such practices. On the 12 March, 2021 in morning hours.my uncle met and told me that I should get prepared to join the Poro Society and if I insisted I will be killed just after an hour, two healthy guys slammed in my compound and I was captured took into the Poro Bush. Three consecutive days, I was severely punished to the extent that I was given a painful cut in my hand. At mid night, I and two other guys narrowly escaped from the Poro Bush. I travelled all night to escape from that particular district.
Speaking with one of the young guys in the community, MustapharBokorie proclaimed that this issue has gone out of hands in this village. I was not willing to join the Poro Society but I was captured and forcefully initiated in the Poro Bush. Honestly, I almost lost my life during the thirty days in the Poro Bush in 2020, and three of my close friends lost their lives.
The issue of compelling people join secret society is something the government should really dig into but most top politicians also involved into this devilish practices by charms given to them for protection of their body. The government needs to take actions because they are killing the hopes of young guys in those villages more especially Kenema District. According to the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone, Section 24 sub section 4 says that “No person shall be compelled to take any oath which is contrary to his religion or belief or take any oath in a manner which in contrary to his religion or belief.” But government are not working in accordance with law of Sierra Leone.